The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 238

THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

198

Netherlands, whose church order not only lacks such profession, but lays the supreme legislative power exclusively upon men, Christ's Kingship is

mocked; that a pretender has usurped His as surely as it is written " Yet have I

who must be removed

place,

:

My

King upon My holy hill of Zion." Hence it must be maintained firmly and fearlessly that Jesus is not only the King of souls, but also King in His Church whose absolute prerogative it is to be the Lawgiver in His Church and that the power which contests that right must be opposed for conset

;

;

science* sake.

To for

it,

why the Church is so apt to forget the Kingship many a godly minister has not the slightest feeling

the question,

of Christ, so that

often saying: "Surely Jesus

but what does

He

is

King

in the

care for the external church?

realm of

truth,

at leaFt, a

I,

man, never attend the meetings of the official board " we Jesus had an earthly throne and thence reigned personally over His Church, all men would bow before Him but being enthroned in heaven at the right hand of the Father, the King is forgotten out of sight, out of mind. Hence ignorance coficertiing the work 0/ the Holy Spirit is the cause. Since Jesus governs His Church not directl5\ but by His Word and Spirit, there is no respect for the majesty of His sovereign government. The spiritual eye of the believer must therefore be reopened The unspiritual for the work of the Holy Spirit in the churches. man has no eye for it. A consistory, classis, or synod is to him merely a body of men convened to transact business according to their own light, the same as a meeting of the directors of a board of One is a shareholder trade, or some other secular organization. and a committeeman, and as such assists in the administration of affairs to the best of his ability. But to the child of God, with an eye for the work of the Holy Spirit, these church assemblies assume an entirely different aspect. He acknowledges that this consistory is no consistory, this classis no classis, this synod only apparently so, except the Holy Spirit preside and decide matters together with the members. The opening prayer of consistory, classis, or synod is therefore not the same as that of the Y. M. C. A., or of a missionary convention, simply a prayer for light and help, but an entirely different thing. It is the petition that the Holy Spirit stand in the midst of the assembly. For without Him no ecclesiastical meeting is comspiritual

answer:

;

" If

;

;

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